Exhibitions @ The artBar

Summer Exhibitions:

Each year, GAC Artist Members are invited to submit expressions of interest for solo or group exhibitions in the gallery space at the artBar. 

Fragments – Marjan Kaviani

Fragments displays Marjan Kaviani’s most recent exploration of the body, form, and psychology on canvas. Specializing in oil paint, this series delves into the dynamic interplay of texture, ephemerality, and emergent patterns found both beneath the skin and throughout nature.

Marjan Kaviani, a Canadian-Iranian artist, was born in Toronto, Ontario. Primarily an oil painter, her art explores the intricate dimensions of humanity and the body. She received her BA Honours in Studio Art with a minor in Psychology from the University of Guelph in 2024 and currently works in Guelph, Ontario. She has had solo shows at the Guelph Civic Museum, and her artistic endeavours have received support from the Ontario Arts Council and the Guelph Arts Council.

Artist website: www.marjankaviani.com

Artist Instagram: @marjankavianiarani 

Fragments will run June 4th to June 28th. An opening reception will take place June 6th, 6pm to 8pm.

Stitching Science: Prelaunch Preview – Lauren Wright Vartanian

These are the illustrations for a science themed alphabet book. Each page explores a topic that I was interested in learning more about or explaining to others in a fun and inviting way. I began working on them in the summer of 2020– my pandemic project– and finished the Z panel in August of 2023. They were created in order, and the “cover” panel was completed in February of this year. Originally conceived as a cloth book for babies, as I continued on with this project the concepts and the artwork itself became more advanced, approaching themes that include quantum physics, fractal mathematics and fetal development. I decided that by photographing each page and presenting this as a published, hardcover book, I would be able to share it with a wider audience. This also allowed more freedom of expression, opening up for more three-dimensional aspects and more complicated
techniques. I enjoyed learning as I went along and pushing my creativity with new methods. I taught myself how to quilt with English paper piecing, weave on a mini loom, use a free motion foot on the sewing machine, and committed to completing two 28 count cross-stitch dinosaurs with a combined total of 14,619 stitches! All appliqued elements are hand stitched. I also included needle felting, hand embroidery and beading.

The book proposal was picked up by Firefly Books, a Canadian traditional publisher that focuses on beautiful educational books. I collaborated with award-winning children’s non-fiction author Keltie Thomas on the text which accompanies my art, and fills this out as a complete scientific refence book. The writing is targeted at elementary school aged children, but the book is really for anyone with a passion for learning about science and an appreciation of textile art. Look for Stitching Science in book stores this September.

Lauren Wright Vartanian is a multidisciplinary artist currently focusing on textile art. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting from OCAD University, where she graduated in 2006. She has been creating and selling art under the name Neurons and Nebulas since 2016. Her work blends art and science in a way that is fun and educational, but also beautiful and inviting. She lives in Guelph with her partner and school aged child.

Artist Website: https://www.neuronsandnebulas.com/
Artist Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neurons.and.nebulas/

Stitching Science: Prelaunch Preview will run July 3rd to July 27th. A closing reception will take place July 25th, 7pm to 9pm.

Woolgathering – Chelsea Moore

This series was created to explore the representation of female relationships by using textiles to create images and sculptures; with an overall aim to demonstrate the idea of living as feminine individual. Furthermore, aiming to represent complex relationships in adulthood, specifically dynamics between women. In the work, the women are put in relaxed states but at the same time in positions of power, using the scale of the work to confront the viewer. They are constructed using different fabrics to illustrate the figure and sewing as gestural lines. In terms of the 3D work, these pieces aim to demonstrate the uncomfortableness of womanhood and represent constraint. Everything is depicted relatively true to scale, establishing a dynamic between real space and one that has been invented. This further explores the relationship between textile and image/sculpture, establishing an interesting dynamic between material and traditional art mediums. Specifically, this series of work aims to have viewers welcomed by the materiality and develop an understanding for how fabric can be used to construct images and sculptures. Overall, the work exists to convey elements that are prominent in the lives of many women and allow viewers to share feelings through the series.

Chelsea Moore (b. 2003) is an interdisciplinary visual artist. She is currently studying Studio Arts at the University of Guelph (2025) while living and working between Guelph and Toronto. As she progresses through her degree, she continues to explore themes of femininity, domesticity and dreams across varying media (including textiles, painting and photography). Currently, she is working on a collection called Woolgathering.

Woolgathering will run August 1st to August 27th. A closing reception will take place August 22nd, 6pm to 8pm.

Members Show:

The GAC Members Show is a special event dedicated to highlighting the creative contributions of our valued members in celebration of Guelph Arts Council’s move to the artBar. It is an opportunity for visual artists to share their work with the community and engage in a collective celebration of artistic expression.

The 2024 Members Show will run April 24th to May 27th. A drop in closing reception will take place May 22nd, 10am-4pm.

Applications for 2024 Members Show have closed. Please check back for 2025.